Damar Hamlin: Everything you need to know

Buffalo re-signed Hamlin (pectoral) on Friday. Hamlin appears to be fully recovered from the pectoral injury that caused him to miss the final 13 games of the 2025 campaign, as he practiced in full and was a candidate to return from IR in advance of the Bills' loss to the Broncos in the divisional round. Across five regular-season appearances last year, Hamlin handled just five defensive snaps. The soon-to-be 29-year-old looks primed to handle a similar reserve role during the 2026 campaign.

Hamlin (pectoral) wasn't activated from injured reserve Friday, ruling him out for Saturday's divisional-round game against the Broncos. Hamlin was designated for return from injured reserve nine days ago and logged a trio of full practices this week. However, it wasn't enough for the Bills to activate him ahead of Saturday's playoff contest. With Jordan Poyer (hamstring) ruled out against Denver, the Bills will be down to Cole Bishop, Sam Franklin, Jordan Hancock, Cam Lewis and Darnell Savage as options at safety.

Hamlin (pectoral) will practice in full Thursday and is listed as questionable for Saturday's divisional-round matchup against the Broncos, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports. Hamlin has now logged three consecutive full practice sessions, suggesting he could return for Saturday's playoff matchup. However, the 27-year-old must still be activated to Buffalo's active roster in order to suit up for the divisional round. If Hamlin returns from his 13-game absence Saturday, he'll likely operate as one of the Bills' backup safeties while contributing on special teams.